CHAPTER XIV
THE LIFE CHAIN
Early one morning, a very handsome woman of the adventuress typearrived with several trunks at the big summer hotel, just outside thetown, the St. Germain.
Among the many fashionable people at the watering-place, however, sheattracted no great attention and in the forenoon she quietly went outin her motor for a ride.
It was Madame Larenz, one of Del Mar's secret agents who, up to thistime, had been engaged in spying on wealthy and impressionable Americanmanufacturers.
Her airing brought her, finally, to the bungalow of Del Mar and thereshe was admitted in a manner that showed that Del Mar trusted herhighly.
"Now," he instructed, after a few minutes chat, "I want you to getacquainted with Miss Dodge. You know how to interest her. She's quitehuman. Pretty gowns appeal to her. Get her to the St. Germain. ThenI'll tell you what to do."
A few minutes later the woman left in her car, so rapidly driven thatno one would recognize her.
It was early in the afternoon that Aunt Josephine was sitting on theveranda, when an automobile drove up and a very stylishly gowned andbonnetted woman stepped out.
"Good afternoon," she greeted Aunt Josephine ingratiatingly as sheapproached the house. "I am Madame Larenz of New York and Paris.Perhaps you have heard of my shops on Fifth Avenue and the Rue de laPaix."
Aunt Josephine had heard the name, though she did not know that thiswoman had assumed it without being in any way connected with the placesshe mentioned.
"I'm establishing a new sort of summer service at the better resorts,"the woman explained. "You see, my people find it annoying to go intothe city for gowns. So I am bringing the latest Paris models out tothem. Is Miss Dodge at home?"
"I think she is playing tennis," returned Aunt Josephine.
"Oh, yes, I see her, thank you," the woman murmured, moving toward thetennis court, back of the house.
Elaine and I had agreed to play a couple of games and were tossingrackets for position.
"Very well," laughed Elaine, as she won the toss, "take the othercourt."
It was a cool day and I felt in good spirits. Just to see whether Icould do it still, I jumped over the net.
Our game had scarcely started when we were interrupted by the approachof a stunning looking woman.
"Miss Dodge?" she greeted. "Will you excuse me a moment?"
Elaine paused in serving the ball and the woman handed her a card fromher delicate gold mesh bag. It read simply:
Mme. Larenz Paris Gowns
Elaine looked at the card a moment while the woman repeated what shehad already told Aunt Josephine.
"You have them here, then?" queried Elaine, interested.
"Yes, I have some very exclusive models which I am showing at my suitein the St. Germain."
"Oh, how lovely," exclaimed Elaine. "I must see them."
They talked a few minutes, while I waited patiently for Elaine to startthe game again. That game, however, was destined never to be finished.More weighty matters were under discussion.
I wondered what they were talking about and, suppressing a yawn, Iwalked toward them. As I approached, I heard scattered remarks aboutstyles and dress fabrics.
Elaine had completely forgotten tennis and me. She took a couple ofsteps away from the court with the woman, as I came up.
"Aren't you going to play?" I asked.
"I know you'll excuse me, Walter," smiled Elaine. "My frocks are all sofrightfully out of date. And here's a chance to get new ones, veryreasonably, too."
They walked off and I could not help scowling at the visitor. On towardthe house Elaine and Madame Larenz proceeded and around it to the frontporch where Aunt Josephine was standing.
"Just think, Auntie," cried Elaine, "real Paris gowns down here withoutthe trouble of going to the city--and cheaply, too."
Aunt Josephine was only mildly interested, but that did not seem toworry Madame Larenz.
"I shall be glad to see you at three, Miss Dodge," she said as she gotinto her car again and drove off.
By that time, I had caught up with Elaine again. "Just one game," Iurged.
"Please excuse me,--this time, Walter," she pleaded, laughing. "Youdon't know how sadly I'm in need of new frocks."
It was no use of further urging her. Tennis was out of her mind forgood that day. Accordingly, I mounted to my room and there quicklydonned my riding clothes.
When I came down, I found Aunt Josephine still on the veranda. Inaddition to my horse which I had telephoned for, Elaine's littlerunabout had been driven to the door. While I was talking to AuntJosephine, Elaine came down-stairs and walked over to the car.
"May I go with you?" I pleaded.
"No, Walter," she replied laughing merrily. "You can't go. I want totry them on."
Properly squelched, I retreated. Elaine drove away and a moment later,I mounted and cantered off leisurely.
Near Del Mar's bungalow might have been seen again the mysteriousnaturalist, walking along the road with a butterfly net in his hand andwhat appeared to be a leather specimen case, perhaps six inches long,under his other arm.
As Madame Larenz whizzed past in her car, he looked up keenly in spiteof his seeming near-sightedness and huge smoked glasses. He watched herclosely, noting the number of the car, then turned and followed it.
Madame Larenz drew up, a second time, before Del Mar's. As she got outand entered, the naturalist, having quickened his pace, came up andwatched her go in. Then, after taking in the situation for a moment, hemade his way around the side of the bungalow.
"Is Mr. Del Mar at home?" inquired Madame Larenz, as the valet usheredher into the library.
"No ma'am," he returned. "Mr. Del Mar is out. But he left word that ifyou came before he got back, you were to leave word."
The woman sat down at the desk and wrote hastily. When she had finishedthe short note, she read it over and folded it up.
"Tell Mr. Del Mar I've left a note here on his desk," she said to thevalet.
A moment later she left the library, followed by the valet, whoaccompanied her to her car and assisted her in.
"The hotel," she directed to her driver, as he started off, while thevalet returned to the bungalow.
Outside, the naturalist had come through the shrubbery and had beenlooking in at the library window, watching every move of Madame Larenzas she wrote. As she went out, he paused just a second to look about.Then he drew a long knife from his pocket, forced the window catch, andquickly climbed into the room.
Directly to the desk he went and hurriedly ran over the papers on it.There was the note. He picked it up and read it eagerly.
"My apartment--St. Germain--3 P. M.
"LARENZ."
For a moment he seemed to consider what to do. Then he replaced thenote. Suddenly he heard the sound of footsteps. It was the valetreturning. Quickly the naturalist ran to the window and jumped out.
A moment later, the valet entered the library again. "That's strange,"he exclaimed under his breath, "I don't recall opening that window overthere to-day."
He looked puzzled. But as no one was about, he went over and shut it.
Some distance down the road, the naturalist quietly emerged in safetyfrom the bushes. With scarcely a moment's hesitation, his mindthoroughly made up to his course, he hurried along the road.
Meanwhile, at the St. Germain, Madame Larenz entered and passed throughthe rotunda of the hotel, followed by many admiring glances of the men.
Up in her room stood several large trunks, open. From them had beentaken a number of gowns which were scattered about or hung up forexhibition.
As she entered, quickly she selected one of the trunks whose contentswere more smart than the rest and laid the gowns out most fetchinglyabout the room.
In the office of the hotel a few moments later, the naturalist entered.He looked around curiously, then went to the desk and glanced over theregister. At the name "Mme Larenz, Paris, Room 22," he paused.
For
some seconds he stood thinking. Then he deliberately walked over toa leather chair and took a prominent seat near-by in the lobby. He haddiscarded his net, but still had the case which now he had shoved intohis pocket. From a table, he picked up a newspaper.
It was not long before Del Mar pulled up before the hotel and enteredin his usual swagger manner. He had returned to the bungalow, read thenote and hurried over to the St. Germain.
He crossed the lobby, back to the office. As he did so, the naturalisthad his face hidden deeply in the open newspaper. But no sooner had DelMar passed than the newspaper fell unappreciated and he gazed afterhim, as he left the lobby by the back way.
It was only a few minutes after she had completed arranging her smallstock so that it looked quite impressive, that Madame Larenz heard aknock at the door and recognized Del Mar's secret code. She opened thedoor and he strode in.
"I got your note," he said briefly, coming directly to business andtelling her just what he wanted done. "Let me see," he concluded,glancing at his watch. "It is after three now. She ought to be here anyminute."
Outside, Elaine drove up to the rather garish entrance of the St.Germain and one of the boys in uniform ran forward to open the door andtake charge of the car. She, too, crossed the lobby without seeing theold naturalist, though nothing escaped him.
As she passed, he started to rise and cross toward her, then appearedto change his mind.
Elaine went on out through the back of the lobby, directed by a boy,and mounted a flight of stairs, in preference to taking the lift to thesecond, or sort of mezzanine floor. Down along the corridor she went,hunting for number twenty-two. At last she found it at the end, andknocked.
Del Mar and Madame Larenz were still talking in low tones when theyheard a light tap on the door.
"There she is, now," whispered Larenz.
"All right. Let her in," answered Del Mar, leaping quietly to a closet."I'll hide here until I get the signal. Do just as I told you."
Outside, at the same time, according to his carefully concocted plans,Del Mar's car had driven up and stopped close to the side of the hotel,which was on a slight hill that brought the street level here not sofar below the second story windows. Three of his most trusted men werein the car.
Madame Larenz opened the door. "Oh, I'm so glad you came," she rattledon to Elaine. "You see, I've got to get started. Not a customer yet.But if you'll only take a few gowns, other people will come to me. I'lllet you have them cheaply, too. Just look at this one."
She held up one filmy, creamy creation that looked like a delicateflower.
"I'd like to try it on," cried Elaine, fingering it rapturously.
"By all means," agreed Madame. "We are alone. Do so."
With deft fingers, Larenz helped her take off her own very prettydress. As Elaine slipped the soft gown over her head, with her head andarms engaged in its multitudinous folds, Madame Larenz, a powerfulwoman, seized her. Elaine was effectually gagged and bound in the gownitself.
Instantly, Del Mar flung himself from the closet, disguising his voice.Together, they wrapped the dress about Elaine even more tightly toprevent her screaming.
Madame 'Larenz seized a blanket and threw that over Elaine's head,also, while Del Mar ran to the window. There were his men in the car,waiting below.
"Are you ready?" he called softly to them.
They looked about carefully. There was no one on that side of the hoteljust at the moment.
"Ready," responded one. "Quick!"
Together, Del Mar and Madame Larenz passed Elaine, ineffectuallystruggling, out of the window. The men seized her and placed her in thebottom of the car, which was covered. Then they shot away, taking aback road up the hill.
Hurriedly the naturalist went through the lobby in the direction Elainehad gone, and a moment later reached the corridor above.
Down it, he could hear some one coming out of room twenty-two. He slidinto an angle and hid.
It was Del Mar and the woman he had seen at the bungalow. They passedby without discovering him, nor could he make out anything that theysaid. What mischief was afoot? Where was Elaine?
He ran to the door and tried it. It was locked. Quickly, he took fromhis pocket a skeleton key and unlocked it. There was Elaine's hat anddress lying in a heap on the bed. But she was not there. He was nowthoroughly alarmed.
She could not have passed him in the hall. Therefore she must have goneor been taken out through the window. That would never have beenvoluntary, especially leaving her things there.
The window was still open. He ran to it. One glance out was enough. Heleaped to the ground. Sure enough, there were automobile tracks in thedust.
"Del Mar's car," he muttered to himself, studying them.
He fairly ran around the side of the hotel. There he came suddenly uponElaine's car standing alone, and recognized it.
There was no time for delay. He jumped into it, and let the swiftlittle racer out as he turned and gathered momentum to shoot up thehill on high speed.
Meanwhile, I had been jogging along through the country, lonely anddisconsolate. I don't know how it happened, but I suppose it was bysome subconscious desire. At any rate I found myself at the road thatcame out across one leading to the St. Germain and it occurred to methat Elaine might by this time have purchased enough frocks to clotheher for a year. At any rate I quickened my pace in the hope of seeingher.
Suddenly, my horse shied and a familiar little car flashed past me. Butthe driver was not familiar. It was Elaine's roadster. In it was astranger--a man who looked like a "bugologist," as nearly as I candescribe him. Was he running off with her car while she was waitinginside the hotel?
I galloped after him.
Del Mar's automobile, with Elaine bound and gagged in it, drove rapidlyby back and unfrequented ways into the country until at last it pulledup before an empty two-story house in a sort of grove of trees.
The men leaped out, lifted Elaine, and carried her bodily into thehouse, taking her up-stairs and into an upper room. She had faintedwhen they laid her down and loosened the dress from about her face sothat she could breathe. There they left her, on the floor, her handsand feet bound, and went out.
How long she lay there, she never knew, but at last the air revived herand she regained consciousness and sat up. Her muscles were sore andher head ached. But she set her teeth and began struggling with thecords that bound her, managing at last to pull the dress over herselfat least.
In Elaine's car, the naturalist drove slowly at times, following thetracks of the automobile ahead. At last, however, he came to a placewhere he saw that the tracks went up a lonely side road. To approach ina car was to warn whoever was there. He ran the cat up alongside theroad in the bushes and jumped out leaving it and following the tracksup the side roadway.
As he approached a single deserted house, he left even the narrow roadaltogether and plunged into the woods, careful to proceed noiselessly.Through the bushes, near the house, he peered. There he could see oneof Del Mar's men in the doorway, apparently talking to others behindhim.
Stealthily the naturalist crept around, still hiding, until he wascloser to the house on the other side. At last he worked his way aroundto the rear door. He tried it. It was bolted and even the skeleton keywas unavailing to slide the bolt. Seconds were precious.
Quickly, he went to the corner of the house. There was a water-leader.He began to climb it, risking its precarious support.
On the roof at last, the naturalist crawled along, looking for some wayof getting into the house. But he could not seem to find any.Carefully, he crawled to the edge of the roof and looked over. Below,he could hear sounds, but could make nothing of them.
From his pocket, he took the leather case and opened it. There was apeculiar arrangement, like some of the collapsible arms on whichtelephone instruments are often fastened to a desk or wall, capable ofbeing collapsed into small space or of being extended for somedistance. On the thing was arranged a system of mirrors, which then
aturalist adjusted.
It was a pocket periscope.
He thrust the thing over the edge of the roof and down, and lookedthrough it. Below, he could see into the room from which came thepeculiar sounds.
He looked anxiously. There he could see Elaine endeavoring still toloosen the cords and unable to do so. Only for a moment he looked. Thenhe folded up the pocket periscope into the case and shoved it back intohis pocket. Quickly he crossed the roof again, and slid back down therain-pipe.
At the door stood three of Del Mar's men waiting for Del Mar who hadtold them he would follow immediately.
The naturalist had by this time reached the ground and was going alongcarefully back of the house. He drew his revolver and, pointing itdown, fired. Then he dodged back of an extension and disappeared forthe moment.
Instantly, the three men sprang up and ran toward the spot where itseemed the shot had been fired. There was no one about the side of thehouse. But the wind had carried the smoke into some bushes beside thegrove and they crashed into the bushes, beating about.
At the same time, the naturalist, having first waited until he sawwhich way the men were going, dashed about the house in the oppositedirection. Then he slipped, unopposed and unobserved, in through theopen front door, up the stairs and along to the room into which he hadjust been looking. He unlocked the door, and entered. Elaine was stillstruggling with the cords when she caught sight of the stranger.
"Not a word," he cautioned under his breath.
She was indeed too frightened to cry out. Quickly, he loosened her,still holding his finger to his lips to enjoin silence.
"Follow me," he whispered.
She obeyed mechanically, and they went out into the hall. Ondown-stairs went the naturalist, Elaine still keeping close after him.
He looked out through the front door, then drew back. Quickly he wentthrough the lower hall until he came to the back door in the kitchen,Elaine following. He unbolted the door and opened it.
"Run," he said, simply, pointing out of the door. "They're coming backthe other way. I'll hold them."
She needed no further urging, but darted from the house as he closedthe door after her.
. . . . . . .
It was just at this point that Del Mar came riding along the main roadon horseback. He pulled up suddenly as he saw a car run in alongsidethe road.
"That's Elaine's runabout," he muttered, as he dismounted and tied hishorse. "How came it here?"
He approached the car, much worried by its unaccountable presence thereinstead of before the St. Germain. Then he drew his gun and hurried upthe side road.
He heard a shot and quickened his pace. In the woods unexpectedly hecame upon his three men still beating about, searching with drawnrevolvers for the person who had fired the shot.
"Well?" he demanded sharply, "what's all this?"
"Some one fired a shot," they explained, somewhat crestfallen.
"It was a trick, you fools," he answered testily. "Get back to yourprisoner."
Without a word they turned and hurried toward the house, Del Marfollowing. "You two go in," he ordered the foremost. "I'll go aroundthe house with Patrick."
As Del Mar and the other man ran around the corner, they could justcatch a fleeting glimpse on some one disappearing among the trees.
It was Elaine.
The man hurried forward, blazing away with his gun.
Running, breathless, Elaine heard the shot behind her which Del Mar'sman had fired in his eagerness. The bullet struck a tree near her witha "ping!" She glanced back and saw the man. But she did not stop.Instead, she redoubled her efforts, running zigzag in among the treeswhere they were thickest.
Del Mar, a little bit behind his man where she could not recognize him,urged the man on, following carefully.
On fled Elaine, her heart beating fast. Suddenly she stopped and almostcried out in vexation. A stream blocked her retreat, a stream, swiftand deep.
She looked back, terrified. Her pursuers were coming ahead fast now inher direction. Wildly she gazed around. There was a canoe on the bank.In an instant she jumped in, untied it, and seized the paddle. Off shewent, striking for the opposite shore. But the current was racingswiftly, and she was already tired and exhausted. She could scarcelymake any headway at all in the fierce eddies. But at least, she thoughthurriedly, she was getting further and further away from themdown-stream.
Up above, Del Mar and his man came to the edge of the water. There theystood for a moment looking down.
"There she is," pointed the man.
Del Mar raised his revolver and fired.
Suddenly a bullet struck Elaine's paddle and broke it. Clutching theuseless splintered shaft, she was now at the mercy of the current,swept along like a piece of driftwood.
She looked about frantically. What was that roaring noise?
It was the waterfalls ahead!
. . . . . . .
In the meantime, Del Mar's other two men had entered the house and hadrun up-stairs, knowing well his wrath if anything had happened. As theydid so, the naturalist poked his head cautiously out of the kitchenwhere he had been hiding, and saw them. Then he followed noiselessly,his revolver ready.
Headlong they ran into the room where they had left Elaine. She wasgone!
Before they could turn, the naturalist locked the door, turned and tookthe steps down, two at a time.
Then he ran out of the front door and into the woods at an angle to thedirection taken by Elaine, turning and going down hill, where a rapid,swollen stream curved about through a gorge. As he reached the stream,he heard a shot above, and a scream.
He looked up. There was Elaine, swept down toward him. Below he knewthe stream tumbled over a tall cataract into the gorge below.
What could he do?
A sudden crackling of the twigs caused him to turn and catch sight ofme, just coming up.
For, as best I could on horseback, I had followed Elaine's car until atlast I saw that it had been abandoned. Thoroughly alarmed, I rode on,past a deserted house until suddenly I heard a shot and a scream. Itseemed to come from below me and I leaped off my horse, making for itas fast as I could, racing toward a stream whose roar I could hear.
There on the bank I came upon a queer old codger, looking about wildly.Was he the automobile thief? I ran forward, ready to seize him. But asI did so, he whirled about and with a strength remarkable in one so oldseized my own wrist before I could get his.
"Look!" he cried simply, pointing up the stream.
I did. A girl in a canoe was coming down toward the falls, screaming,her paddle broken and useless. My heart leaped into my mouth. It wasElaine!
"Come," he panted eagerly to me. "I can save her. You must do just as Isay."
He pointed to an overhanging rock near-by and we ran to it.
By this time Elaine was almost upon us, each second getting nearer theveritable maelstrom above the falls.
From the rock overhung also a tree at the very edge of the water.
There was nothing to do but obey him. Above, though we did not seethem, Del Mar and his man were gloating over the result of their work.But they were gloating too soon. We came to the rock and the tree.
"Here," cried the new-found friend, "I'll get hold of the tree and thenhold you."
Instantly he threw himself on his stomach, hooking his leg about thetree trunk. I crawled out over the ledge of slippery rock to the veryedge and looked over. It was the only chance.
The old naturalist seized my legs in his hands. I slid down the rock,letting myself go.
Literally, his presence of mind had invented what was really a lifechain, a human rope.
On came the canoe, Elaine in it as white as death, crying out andtrying to stop or guide it as, nearer and nearer through thesmooth-worn walls of the chasm, it whirled to the falls.
With a grip of steel, the naturalist held to the tree which swayed andbent, while
also he held me, as if in a vise, head down.
On came Elaine--directly at us.
She stood up and balanced herself, a dangerous feat in a canoe at anytime, but doubly so in those dark, swirling, treacherous waters.
"Steady!" I encouraged. "Grab my arms!"
As the canoe reached us, she gave a little jump and seized my forearms.Her hands slipped, but I grasped her own arms, and we held each other.
The momentum of her body was great. For an instant I thought we wereall going over. But the naturalist held his grip and slowly began topull himself and us up the slippery rock.
A second later the canoe crashed over the falls in a cloud of spray andpounding water.
As we reached the bank above the rock, I almost lifted Elaine and sether down, trembling and gasping for breath. Before either of us knew itthe queer old fellow had plunged into the bushes and was gone withoutanother word.
"Walter," she cried, "call him back, I must tell him how much I owehim--my life!"
But he had disappeared, absolutely. We shouted after him. It was of nouse.
"Well, what do you think of that?" cried Elaine. "He saved mylife--then didn't wait even to be thanked."
Who was he?
We looked at each other a moment. But neither of us spoke what was inour hearts.